Hopes remain high for state transportation reforms

Tuesday

Jun 24, 2014 at 9:07 PMJun 24, 2014 at 11:19 PM

The push by state Sen. Norby Chabert, R-Houma, this year to restructure the strategic decision-making process at the Department of Transportation and Development crossed an important threshold last week with Gov. Bobby Jindal's signature on his cornerstone legislation.

Jeremy AlfordLaPolitics News Service

The push by state Sen. Norby Chabert, R-Houma, this year to restructure the strategic decision-making process at the Department of Transportation and Development crossed an important threshold last week with Gov. Bobby Jindal's signature on his cornerstone legislation.While somewhat tamer than the original proposal to create a streamlined agency under the Louisiana Economic Development department, Chabert's Act 719 does place the new Office of Multimodal Commerce at DOTD. With the goal of having DOTD focus only on building roads, maintaining bridges and other transportation priorities, the commissioner of the new office would be charged with coordinating commercial trucking, ports, harbors, aviation, rail, maritime activities and intercity mass transit. By overseeing all of these functions, Chabert argues that DOTD's focus has become too divided, which is why he advocated for a split during this year's session.The governor would have the authority to appoint the new commissioner and set the person's salary, but the overall operational change is still two years off. The bill creates a Multimodal Commerce Advisory Commission, consisting of industry representatives and state officials, to develop an operational plan for review in the 2015 regular session. Full enactment would follow in 2016.Chabert said the office will more properly position the state to take advantage of business opportunities like the widening of the Panama Canal and increased energy exploration that DOTD is unable to focus wholeheartedly on with a massive backlog of transportation projects. The difference between commerce infrastructure and basic transportation needs must be better defined, he said, to support the state's most valuable economic engines. The legislation is part of a larger national policy trend that recognizes a synergistic approach to multimodal commerce. Louisiana would be only the second state in the nation to establish such an office. Pennsylvania did so in 2013, and numerous others are in the process of doing so.

In the run up to this week's annual congressional baseball game, the three Louisiana delegation members participating on the diamond exchanged some serious taunts, with most directed at U.S. Rep. Cedric Richmond, D-New Orleans. Throwing from the mound with heat that clocks in around 80 mph or above, and a wicked curve ball, Richmond helped the Dems topple the GOP in an embarrassing loss last year. But U.S. Rep. Vance McAllister, R-Swartz, is also taking to the mound this year. "I'm going to bean him," said McAllister. "That's how I'm going to beat him. I'm going to hit him right in the arm." Richmond responded, "He doesn't throw hard enough to hit me, and don't forget I get to pitch, too."In a recent follow-up interview from his office on the Hill, while he was icing down his shoulder, McAllister just laughed. "He's probably right that I can't throw hard enough to hurt him. But I can hit him," McAllister said. "And I've been hit harder by better."Not to be outdone, U.S. Steve Scalise, R-Metairie, noted he was among the few batters to get a hit off of Richmond two years ago. Participating congressmen get to pick their own jerseys, with Scalise sporting an Archbishop Rummel High School jersey this year, McAllister wearing threads from the University of Louisiana at Monroe, and Richmond, who wore a Jackie Robinson jersey last year, scoring new digs from the Urban Youth Academy.

Americans for Prosperity President Tim Phillips was in Louisiana recently meeting with donors and prospects. Sources describe his visit as part of a long-term strategy to create a financial foundation for the state chapter here. Phillip Joffrion, Americans for Prosperity's state director, confirmed Phillips spent two days in meetings and visiting the conservative group's local offices. Those familiar with the visits add they learned Americans for Prosperity will be steering clear of the state's competitive congressional races, but will be ramping up its involvement in the U.S. Senate election."We are positioning ourselves to build a sustainable program to have an impact on public policy in the state," Joffrion said. That means meeting with state legislators across the state to work on model legislation for the 2015 session that focuses on free market principles and a "laundry list of other issues," he added. Americans for Prosperity is likewise "monitoring the positions state legislators took this session and the votes they made." Americans for Prosperity has three permanent field offices: one in Baton Rouge, where it is headquartered, and one each in New Orleans and Lafayette. There's also a satellite office in Shreveport. There are five full-time staffers and 12 part-time employees, with an eye to growing that in the future along with its field operations.The state chapter was launched in January, and there's a guarantee of revenue from the national organization throughout the first year, Joffrion said.

As expected, state Rep. Chris Hazel, R-Pineville, announced his candidacy this month for Rapides Parish district attorney, pitting him against his one-time colleague, former state Rep. Chris Roy, a Democrat from Alexandria. It's expected to be a highly competitive race, with polls already conducted and money being raised. It will also be a test for the Roy family; on the same ballot, brother Jacques Roy will be facing re-election as mayor of Alexandria. Pineville City Judge Philip Terrell is hoping to shave a few Democratic votes off of Chris Roy and could send the contest into a runoff. Terrell carries a well-known name, too, as his father was a long-time first assistant district attorney.The seat is being vacated by District Attorney Jam Downs.

"I'm not running for governor as a stepping stone ... I'm not even running to gain a cameo appearance on 'Duck Dynasty.'"— U.S. Sen. David Vitter, R-La., on running for governor, to the Baton Rouge Press Club.

"We got our bellies full, and then we sat around in a big circle, and then we prayed. We prayed about this candidacy that this would be something real. And the family was really excited."—Zach Dasher, cousin of Duck Commander Chief Executive Willie Robertson, on how he decided to join the 5th District race, in The Hill.

For more Louisiana political news, visit www.LaPolitics.com or follow Jeremy Alford on Twitter @LaPoliticsNow.

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